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This is undoubtedly one of the slowest growing and charming
species.
It is seldom seen in collections. |
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Etymology:
The
generic name
"Ariocarpus "
is derived from the Greek “aria” meaning “Sorb” (Sorbus
aria – Rosaceae - is the white-beam tree) and the Greek word "karpos
(καρπος)"
meaning “fruit”
( The
Genus name implies:
"fruit similar in appearance to that of the
white-beam")
The
specific name "scapharostrus" derives from the Latin word “Scaphus” meaning
“boat, the hull of a boat”, and the Latin word “Rostrum”meaning
“the beak of a bird”
referring to the
long
tubercles
(The specific name implies: “boat
shaped tubercles”)
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Description:
Slow-growing
geophytic
cactus;
Smaller
solitary
stem, diameter 5-6cm
(occasionally up to 9-15cm in cultivated
plants), few
erect
spineless
tubercles up to 5 cm, grey
wool
between the
tubercles, thick
underground
carrot-like root.
Flowers are
diurnal, bright Dark purple flowers, up
to 4 cm flowers in
the
Autumn.
Cultivation:
Plants are slow growing and
the flowers are quite rare, it
may
start to
bloom at about 2.5 cm diameter.
It is one of the more difficult Ariocarpus in cultivation,
often
rots,
especially the
old plant. The
seedlings are often
grafted to increase
growth speed, and flowers can then be expected within 2-3 years from
sowing. It requires a hot
sunny position.
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Scientific Name:
Ariocarpus scapharostrus
Boedecker
Pubblished in:
Monatsschrift fur Kakteenkunde 2 :60-61.
1930
Comments: This specie has been
described in 1930 with
the name A. scapharostrus,
but Hunt proposed to change the name in
A. scaphirostris which is the correct
spelling.
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Conservation status: Listed in
CITES appendix I
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Origin: Rayones valley (sw
Galeana, n
Cuaxma, Casillas, nr Monterrey)
Habitat:
:
Mexico (Nuevo Leon) in a very limited area within a
single valley of a few hillsides. Grows in
clayey soils on extremely
arid low
limestone hills at 950-1400 m of
elevation. |
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A seedling grafted on Opuntia compressa (diameter 3cm).
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Cultivation and Mail Sale 
